Improvement in elevators



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Improvement in Elevators. No, 114,460. I PatentedM-ay 2,1871.

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CHARLES E. MOORE,v OE BOSTON, ASSIGNOR To HrMSE-LE AND 'MARTIN L. WYMAN, OE MELROSE, MASSACHUSETTS.

Letters Patent No. 114,460, dated May 2, 1871.

IMPROVEMENT lN ELEVATORS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whoml it may concern:

Beit known that 1,' CHARLES E. MOORE, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented Improvements in Elevators; and I do hereby declare that the following, taken in connection with the drawing which accompanies and formsl part of this specification, is a description of my inven-` tion sniicient to enable those skilled in the art to My invention relates to certain improvements in steam-elevators for passenger or freight purposes, the improvements having particular reference to the niethod of 'starting and stopping the engine of such an elevator, both in its ascent and descent, the operation of .starting and 'stopping the engine being eiectedby opening and closing a valve iu the exhaust-pipe of the engine.

By my invention the steam is never shut off from the cylinders of the engine except by closing the valve which admits the steam from the boiler' to the engine.

YIn all steam-elevators heretofore employed the stop ping or starting ci' the elevator has been eiected by shutting o' the steam from or letting steam into the cylinders of the engine,"such au organization render'- iug it necessary to apply a brake to some part of the elevator to sustain the car or platform and prevent any accident from the elevator' running down, as it -of course would and must do'iV the brake was not applied, the engine having n'o power to sustain the car when th'e'steam is shut oti from the cylinders, of the engine. In the descent of the car the brake sometimes is not suiiicieut to prevent the car from running below the point at which it was intended to stop, as the momentum Of the elevator is arrested only by the friction of the brake.

With my invention no brake is necessary to stop the engine, as when the passage for the escape of the exhaust steam is closed the engine must necessarily stop, as it is impossible for the engine to continue to run' if the escape of the exhaust steam is prevented; and, unless it is necessary that the elevator should make a long stop at any of the landings of the hoistway, this invention of closing the exhaust is all that is necessary for the operation of the elevator.

But, as all steam-pistons are not perfectly steamtight, the leakage of steam, it the engine be stopped a great length ot' time, would permit them to descend very slowly. To prevent this au automatic steambrake may be employed, which brake is operated by tliepressure ofthe steam inthe exhaust-pipe ot' the engine, which forces the brake against one of the wheels of the elevator, the brake being relieved, when the exhaust is opeued,to allow the engine to run.

' It is in the method of stopping the elevator and holding it by the pressure of the steam-when stopped, and in the employment of the brake iu combination with the pressure of the Asteam to hold the car,` that the invention primarily consists.

The drawing represents an elevator mechanism embodying the improvements,- with suicient of the engine'and engine connections to enable my improvements to be understood.' V

Figure 1 shows the mechanism in side elevation. Figure 2 is a sectional elevation, the section being taken on the line 'x x.

` Figure 3 is an end view. l

Figure 4, a sectional plan on the line y y.

a denotes the car moving vertically in a suitable motion of the engine. Valves operated by the link motion can be used for reversing, or the reversing may be effected by any other suitable devices.

The reversing mechanism, shown in `the drawing, is as follows:

By two links, 'm n, the two reversing-valves are con# nected with two cranks, h,2 i2, of a crank-shaft, o, hav-A -ing a pulley, 1J, which is operated to turn the crankshaft by a rope, q, around the pulley p andu another pulley, fr, and running through the car. By pulling down upon the rope or part ot the rope running through the carthe links are thrown` outward and thereversing-valves of the two cylinders are moved into position to hoist the car. By reversing the position of the cranks the links are thrown inward, and the reversing-valves of the engine are then in position to lower the car.

Now, to stop the car it has been customary to counect a stop and rcversevalve with the'crank-snatt, (operated by the car,) and to shut oli the steam by closing this valve whenever the car was to be stopped,

I combine with the steam-cy1iider or cyl iuders, and the valveor valves operated from the crank-shaft, an auxiliary valve, also operated by such crank-shaft, and

controlling the exhaust-passages from the cylinders,v

in such manner that, while the valve or valves ot' the main cylinder or cylinders are in position for the car to either ascend or descend, the movement of the car is arrested by closing the exhaust, the steam-passages being kept charged with steam and ready for the resumpti'on of movement of the car, or for reverse of movement, at whatever point the car may be stopped, and in whichever direction it may be moving when stopped.

The valve-stem of the exhaust-valve is seen at j, the valve moved by it controlling an exhaust-passage common to both cylinders.

The valve-stem j is connected by a link, s, with a third crank, t, on the crank-shaft o. When the shaft is so turned as to bring the crank tinto upright position the exhaust-passage is closed by the link s, and as the crank continues to turn toward the engine it still keeps the valve-port covered,

and keeps it .so covered until the crank-arm reaches a vertical position under the axis of the shaft, while from the vertical upper or lower, position the movement of the crank outward, orin a direction from the engine, opens the valve and allows steam to exhaust from each cylinder.

A suitable stop, u, prevents movement of the crank beyoud the position necessary to open the exhaust` valve after it has been closed.

If, then, the car be ascending, the crank t will be back `from its uppermost position, and the other cranks will the exhaust-valve, there being rovision for play of the cranks in the links through such movement of the crank t, so that if the car is to be again started in the same direction'(upward) the ropeA is drawn. down and the cranks assume the position they had before the car was stopped,l and while the exhaust is closed steam remains in the cylinders, and the .pressure of the steam sustains the weight of the car and holds the car iu a stationary position. If, however, the-car is to be startedin the other direction, (after ybeing stopped,) the operator continues to pull up on the rope and carries the center crank around, and with it the cranks ofthe operating-cylinders, which cranks move and reverse their valves without motion being imparted to the' pistons, because of the closed position of the exhanstpipe valve.

` The movement of the exhaust-crank and its valve does not uncover the exhaust-port until the crank has passed to a vertical position below the' crank-shaft, andthence to an inclined position back of the shaft; and when it reaches this position the t-wo cranks will vhave been carried in, throwing in the two valves, rever-sing their position, so that the car will then descend.

The operations to stop the descending car, or to reverse the movement of the descending car, are precisely the converse of those described.

Thus it will be seen that the steam is never cut oil from the steam-cylinders,.but that its pressure is a1- Aways exerted either to raise or lower. the car or to hold it in stationary position.

which, when-anam, az, isthrown up,hears upon the drum-pulley fr.

.Under this arm is a vertical piston-rod, y, projecting from the piston of La steamfcyli'n'der, z. This cylinder s connected, bya suitable pipe, a?, with the exhaust-pipe between the exhaust-valve and the engine-cylinders; and when the' exhaust is closed thepressure of the steam is exerted upon the piston of the cylinder z, throwing' the piston-rod up, raising tending to arrest rotative movement ofthe pulley.

As soon as the exhaust is 'opened,pressure.of the steam upon the piston ceases and the pulley is free to move.

On the"brakeshaft is a loose sleeve, b, having projecting down fromv it at one end abrakeeslhoe, c, and projectingdown from its other end a weighted arm, d?. Under this arm is a vertical piston-rod, e',project ing up'irom a piston in a steam-cylinder, f2.

From-this cylinder a steam-pipe, g2, extends to onel ofthe steam-chests, and the pressure of the steam at all times Whlethe engine is in operation 'keeps the pistonrod up and holds the brake-shoe from the drum; but

ure upon the piston being removed, the weighted arm throws down the brake, and the. pressure uponv the It will lbe obvious that the method of working the reversiug-valvesand the exhaust-controlling valve may be variously modified, the essence of m y invention consisting in employing, in connection with reversingortho direction of movementfof the car, an auxiliary valve that controls .the exhaust-passages and enables the car to be arrested vby shutting the exhaust, and to be lield in position by the pressure of the steam.

I claimposition in the hoist-way when the engine is stopped by the pressure ofthe steam in the engine, by means `substantially as described.

2. Incombination with the enginefoylinde'r or cylinders and the reversing-valve or valves, the auxiliary valve controlling the exhaust-steam passage, so that the enginel is stopped and the movement of the car thereby arrested, by, shutting the exhaust, and withoutmo'vementor independent ofthe movement ofthe reversing mechanism, the car being `held in station- 'ary position by the pressure of the steam.

3. In combination-with the exhaust-valve, operating to stop the engine, the brake automatically operated by the piston-rod of a stealn'cylinder connected with `the exhaust-pipe, substantially as described.v

4. In combination with the hoisting-engine, a brake 'held out of contact with' ther drum or] driving-pulley by the pressure 'of the steam when tl'i'eengine is working, and which is thrown against the pulley whenever steam is shut 01T from the engine, substantially as described.

OHARLES'E. MOORE. Witnesses:

FBANors GOULD, S. B. Knmnn.

o denotes'a brake-shaft, having a brake-shoe, w,

the arm x, and crowding the brake against the pulley,

as soon as steam is shutoff from'th'e engine, the pressf pulleys counter-acts an-y tendency of the carto descend valves, that-control eutranoeofsteam to the cylinders' 1. -An elevator, the car-oi' which is held in elevated 

